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    Dec 26, 2024  
2020-2021 Graduate Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Counseling, PhD


Admission requirements

Applicants to the doctoral program must meet requirements for admission to the Toulouse Graduate School. The general requirements for admission are described in the College of Education section.

A completed application for admission to the doctoral program, including the names of three professional references, must be submitted to the program.

Applicants must submit evidence of holding a master’s degree from an accredited college or university and have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on all graduate credit hours. Applicants are expected to meet requirements of a CACREP-accredited master’s degree in counseling. Applicants who do not meet this criterion must complete deficiency course work to meet CACREP-equivalent standards. Applicants must submit GRE scores and any program-specific admission materials. Contact the academic program for information concerning holistic admissions process including possible deficiency course work.

The admission examination and interview process for the counseling program are administered once each year early in the spring term/semester for acceptance to the doctoral program cohort for the fall semester. All required admission materials must be filed in the program office by the deadline indicated on the department web site, usually November 30. All academic prerequisites must be completed prior to enrolling in the first semester of required doctoral course work. Contact program for specific requirements, deadlines and academic schedules.

Upon successful completion of the admission examination and interview process, applicants will be offered provisional admission pending the Counseling Program’s receipt of a satisfactory Criminal History Background Check (CHBC). Admission to the counseling doctoral program is provisional until the student’s progress is evaluated by the counseling faculty upon completion of the first year of required core courses. The student’s progress is evaluated on the basis of the demonstration of academic performance, professional development and personal development required for success as a professional counselor and counselor educator. After the initial progress review, the counseling faculty will recommend that the student continue or continue with specific conditions attached, or reserves the right to withdraw the student from the program.

Following this initial evaluation, the student will be routinely evaluated on the criteria of academic performance, professional development and personal development to determine if progress is adequate, if remedial work is needed or if the student should be withdrawn from the program.

Degree requirements


The Doctor of Philosophy degree in counseling is offered in the Department of Counseling and Higher Education. The degree requires a minimum of 72 semester hours beyond the master’s degree. Students must earn grades of A or B in all degree plan courses. Courses listed below are 3 semester credit hours unless otherwise specified.

Specialty courses, 9 hours


Students complete a 9-hour counseling specialty from a list of course work specified in the Counseling Doctoral Program Handbook.

Minor/electives, 3–12 hours


Students must complete a minor of at least 12 semester hours outside the academic program or, with approval of the student’s doctoral advisory committee, may choose the elective option in lieu of the minor. Students who have completed graduate counseling credits in excess of 48 hours may request exemption from up to 9 semester hours of minor/elective requirements; approval is at the discretion of the major professor and on a case-by-case basis.

Research tool, 9 hours


In addition to the degree requirements for a PhD in counseling, UNT requires that all doctoral students satisfy a 9-hour tool requirement. The tool-subject area is determined by program areas. For students pursuing a PhD in counseling, the required tool subject is COUN 6120 , COUN 6125  and one additional 3-hour course in research.

Additional requirements


Students may not be enrolled in any COUN core course until they have been fully admitted to the doctoral program in counseling. Students are required to meet the UNT doctoral residence requirement during fall and spring semester of their first year of doctoral study. The Counseling Doctoral Program Handbook provides specific details regarding course work requirements, mandatory clinical experiences, and additional professional experiences required in fulfillment of the counseling doctoral portfolio. Students are expected to pursue Texas counselor licensure while enrolled in the doctoral program.